Author: Andrew Rogers

Scientists launched an AI app that identifies dinosaurs from fossil footprints with about 90% agreement with human experts.Researchers from the University of Edinburgh helped develop the system.The team trained the AI using 2,000 unlabelled footprint silhouettes.The system compared prints using eight shape features, including toe spread and heel position.Professor Steve Brusatte said footprint shapes depend on movement and ground conditions.Lead author Gregor Hartmann warned many past footprint labels may be incorrect.The free DinoTracker app lets users upload prints and compare similar examples.Results support earlier claims that some ancient tracks look birdlike.Brusatte said the tracks likely came from birdlike meat-eating dinosaurs,…

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has agreed to dismiss its lawsuit against the Winklevoss twins’ crypto exchange.The decision followed the full repayment of assets to investors in the Gemini Earn lending program.Regulators cited the return of funds through the Genesis Global Capital bankruptcy process in 2024.The move reflects a friendlier regulatory approach toward cryptocurrencies under President Donald Trump.Trump reversed stricter policies, supported the crypto industry, and promoted wider use of digital assets.The SEC stressed the dismissal does not affect its stance in other enforcement cases.

Coca-Cola has launched legal action against Vue after the cinema chain replaced it with PepsiCo as soft drink supplier. Vue ended the near 25-year partnership last year after putting the contract out to tender, selecting PepsiCo through 2030. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Great Britain claims Vue owes unpaid debts following the contract termination. Vue says the disputed sum was under £100,000 and has now been fully resolved, with legal action withdrawn.

Google’s AI Overviews cite YouTube more often than any medical website when answering health-related searches, according to a German study that raises concerns about the reliability of information shown to billions of users. Researchers analysed more than 50,000 health queries made in Germany and found that YouTube accounted for 4.43% of all citations, making it the single most referenced source in AI Overviews. No hospital network, government health body or medical association came close. YouTube is owned by Google, whose AI summaries appear at the top of search results and are viewed by about 2bn people each month. The researchers…

Japan is developing the world’s fastest train, the L0 Series maglev, which has reached test speeds of 603.5km/h, far ahead of Europe’s fastest trains such as France’s TGV or Italy’s Italo, which run at around 300–350km/h. Built by Central Japan Railway Company, the train will operate on the new Chuo Shinkansen line, cutting travel time between Tokyo and Nagoya to about 40 minutes, and eventually linking Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka in roughly one hour. The project relies on magnetic levitation (maglev) technology, which lifts the train above the track, reducing friction and allowing extreme speeds. However, the project is hugely…

Influencers linked to the online “manosphere” are persuading healthy young men that normal changes in energy, mood or libido signal low testosterone, according to a study in Social Science and Medicine. Researchers analysed popular posts on TikTok and Instagram, finding testosterone testing and treatment were often framed as essential to masculinity, despite routine screening being medically unnecessary for most young men. The lead author, Emma Grundtvig Gram of the University of Copenhagen, said normal life experiences were being portrayed as medical problems, driving demand for tests and supplements with little proven benefit. Experts warned this “medicalisation of masculinity” risks unnecessary…

Plants growing close together can warn one another about incoming stress, helping their neighbours survive conditions that would otherwise cause serious damage. In experiments with thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), researchers grew plants either in isolation or packed closely so their leaves touched. When exposed to intense light stress, isolated plants suffered heavy damage, while crowded plants coped far better. Within an hour, densely grown plants activated more than 2,000 genes linked to protection against multiple stresses, whereas isolated plants showed little change in gene activity. The findings suggest that stressed plants send warning signals to nearby neighbours. The study identified…

Netflix has converted its $82.7bn (£61.5bn) offer for Warner Bros Discovery into an all-cash deal, keeping the valuation at $27.75 per share to speed approval and counter a hostile bid from Paramount Skydance. Netflix said the move simplifies the transaction and could allow WBD shareholders to vote as early as April. The WBD board continues to unanimously back Netflix’s proposal. Shareholders would also receive stakes in a spun-off global networks business, including CNN and Discovery, which Netflix is not acquiring. Paramount is pressing ahead with a larger $108.4bn bid and has sought to disrupt the Netflix deal through legal action…

Scientists have developed a straightforward blood test that can predict how well breast cancer patients are likely to respond to specific treatments, potentially allowing doctors to tailor therapy far earlier than is currently possible. The test analyses circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) – tiny fragments of genetic material released into the bloodstream by cancer cells. By measuring ctDNA levels before treatment begins, and again after just four weeks, researchers found they could reliably forecast whether a therapy was likely to succeed. In a study involving 167 patients with advanced breast cancer, those with low or undetectable ctDNA levels had significantly better…

Newcastle United missed the chance to move fifth after a flat goalless draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Despite dominating possession, Newcastle struggled for creativity and failed to seriously test José Sá. Wolves defended with discipline, looked organised under Rob Edwards and posed occasional counterattacking threats. Eddie Howe admitted his side lacked quality in the final third and needed a moment of inspiration. Wolves’ resilience earned a deserved point and underlined their steady improvement.